I'm trying to find a more motivating way to improve at programming. Is it better to build very small, familiar projects such as Snake, Pac-Man, or Tic-Tac-Toe, or should I make tiny versions of games built around mechanics I'm genuinely interested in?
When I work on standard beginner projects, I often feel like I'm not making much progress and end up relying heavily on tutorials. I also procrastinate because I'm worried I won't be able to finish the projects independently and will have to confront gaps in my knowledge.
I'm wondering whether working toward a much smaller version of a game I actually want to create would keep me more engaged. Tutorials for specific features seem less discouraging because I can understand and reuse the individual technique instead of copying an entire project. I'd be interested in hearing how other people improved their programming skills and stayed motivated.
3 Answers
There’s no rule that a beginner project has to be a standard game. You can even add an unusual twist to a simple idea—such as a much larger or more complex version of Tic-Tac-Toe—as long as you understand that the added rules may make it considerably harder. The important part is choosing a challenge that is interesting without becoming so large that you can’t divide it into clear, testable steps.
Build something that genuinely interests you, but keep the scope extremely small. Familiar games like Snake or Tic-Tac-Toe are recommended because they have manageable rules and still teach useful fundamentals, but they aren’t mandatory.
The main danger with personal projects is taking on too much and getting stuck. Break your idea into tiny milestones: make one object move, add one interaction, track one piece of state, and so on. Use tutorials or documentation for specific problems, but try to understand and recreate the solution rather than copying an entire project. That combination gives you motivation while still keeping the project achievable.
Tutorial clones can feel unproductive because you already know what the finished result is supposed to look like, so you’re mostly following a pattern instead of solving problems yourself. A project based on a mechanic you’re curious about can be more educational because you have to make design decisions and work through uncertainty.
It’s still useful to rebuild existing games occasionally, especially to learn how common systems are structured. As you gain experience, choose examples that contain a technique you want to use, then adapt that technique to your own smaller project.
That makes sense. I think breaking my ideas into much smaller features would make them feel less intimidating, while still giving me a reason to keep working.